


now i've been haunted by what i wanted

by timeofsorrow



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Hyelin is the Grand Duke (Grand Duchess in this case), I picked random idols for some of these characters ok, Lee Siyeon as Cinderella, Princess Kim Bora | SuA, Smut, Solar is the King (Queen in this case), Strangers to Lovers, Taecyeon is the evil stepmother (stepfather in this case), There is a sex scene near the end that is easy to skip over if you'd rather not read that, Yoohyeon and Gahyeon are the evil stepsisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:00:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28347318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeofsorrow/pseuds/timeofsorrow
Summary: Were it not for the mysterious masked woman who arrived in the ballroom on the night of her twenty-sixth birthday, Bora would have never considered marrying a single soul for as long as she would live.
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33
Collections: DC Secret Santa 2020





	now i've been haunted by what i wanted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ghostwritemylife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostwritemylife/gifts).



> Firstly, I am sorry for submitting this so late. Lots of things happened which kept me from getting this in any earlier, but it's here now! ^^
> 
> Secondly, I had absolutely nothing to work with but a pairing. I really don't know how I pulled this out of my ass, but I pray it's good. ;; I'm a detailed writer, so this turned out a lot longer than I anticipated. Admittedly, it's not my best seeing I rushed it to get it submitted. Regardless, I hope who I'm gifting this to likes it! 
> 
> Thirdly, in relation to how I am submitting this super late, I present another gift! I made a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5IO4Zxcixq7KQdICvaeLLE?si=5UxnzB7FSY22sRlntO-c3A) to listen to while reading along! It's mostly songs I listened to a lot while writing this, but also songs I thought related to this fic or simply reminded me of it. 
> 
> Fun fact: Salute by AB6IX inspired the military part of this fic. I decided to go with the royal theme because I had a lucid dream that had a royal ballroom in it and it gave me Cinderella vibes (and royalty AU are also my favourite kind of AU), but I wanted it to be something original? So I chose to base it off Cinderella but in reverse where the focus would be on the Prince (or this case, Princess). The military concept is what sneaked its way in because of the song. Also, who doesn't love a woman in royal uniform???? LOL So I asked someone about the thoughts of either Siyeon being the soldier or Bora being the soldier and they told me what about Cinderella AND the princess being a soldier? Immediately, I was like, WELL YOU GOT A POINT THERE, and that lead to all of this. 🧠
> 
> This is also my first time posting a fic for Dreamcatcher. I wanted to for so long now but motivation nowhere to be found. lol I hope this fic does justice. But yeah, I think that's all I have to say~ Happy Holidays to everyone who celebrates Christmas (as I am one who does not)! 
> 
> The title is taken from "The After You" by Miakoda.

"That little _sheep_!" A voice screeches frustratedly.

It's the ruler. Queen Yongsun.

The fourty-eight-year-old woman picks up her glass of red wine, downs it in one go, and places it back on the table beside her with a blunt force. 

Yes, she is drunk. A bit plastered. Not tipsy, but not wasted either. Just enough hammered that she requires supervision.

That's where Grand Duchess Hyelin comes in. She stands near the small table Queen Yongsun sits at with a pen and clipboard in hand. Anything that's of importance that comes from Queen Yongsun must be written down, so that is her duty at the moment—other than making sure Queen Yongsun doesn't injure herself.

Or someone else.

As a ruler of a kingdom, you always want to be prepared, to have a backup plan. Queen Yongsun is aware of that. She's a great queen, and the way her subjects treat her with respect and honour her in return is proof of that. However, Queen Yongsun is not naïve. She knows that there are people out there that do not appreciate her. You can't win over everyone, unfortunately.

That being said, she watches out for herself carefully. Though she is trying to avoid it, she knows that there are chances for a slip-up. In a scenario where that could ever happen where she has to leave the throne—or worse, _be killed off_ —she wants there to be someone who could immediately take her place as ruler and rule the people with confidence.

The person she knows who is capable of taking her place in case of an emergency is the heir to the throne: her daughter, Princess Bora.

In case this is to happen, she wants Bora to be married before then. She wants to approve of the partner that Bora chooses and make sure that whoever she picks will be faithful and loyal to both Bora and the kingdom. Queen Yongsun wants Princess Bora to get married soon—within the next few months of the remaining year if possible—and is frustrated that Bora refuses to find a suitable partner.

"What doesn't she get?!" Queen Yongsun exclaims, dramatically throwing her arms into the air. She pours wine into her glass before chugging it once again. Then she leans back against the one-seat sofa she sits on. "We're racing against time! She should be on this! Stat!"

Grand Duchess Hyelin cocks her head to the side with a slight grimace on her lips. "I mean... It's not... _so_ urgent, Your Majesty. Between next year and the year after that is a perfect amount of time for her to get accustomed to the courting processes."

Queen Yongsun sighs harshly as if she was groaning and shakes her head vehemently. She sways a little bit as she does because of how intoxicated she is. "No. No. She has to be—" She burps. "Oh, deary. Please excuse me."

Hyelin forces a smile upon her face. "No worries, Your Majesty. You were saying?"

"I'm concerned that something will happen to me, and she won't be prepared. I want her to be married or in the process of getting married so that no one unfaithful would try to steal her place from her if I were to pass," Yongsun explains.

Hyelin nods. "That's a valid concern, Your Majesty."

"Precisely!" Yongsun exclaims. "I have tried to explain this to her multiple times, but we can't see eye to eye over it."

"She may not agree to the idea of it currently, but it wouldn't be too out of reach to at least search for potential partners yourself," Hyelin says with a hum. "What about trying to find partners at the celebration of Princess Bora's twenty-sixth birthday ball that's coming up soon?" She asks.

Queen Yongsun gasps. "Hyelin! My God! That's the most wonderful idea you've had all evening!" She agrees. "As soon as you can, put the notice of this in all the invitations sent out for Bora's party!"

Although it was Hyelin who was the one who gave the idea, she didn't think Yongsun would agree. Especially not so quickly. It must be because of the alcohol in her system, she thinks. 

Regardless, she writes it down with a nod of her head. "Of course, Your Majesty," she answers. "Anything else I should note down for you to think further about in the morning?" It's a hint that she believes Queen Yongsun needs to ponder on that decision when she's sober. 

Unfortunately, Queen Yongsun doesn't catch on. "Actually, yes," she responds before drinking another glass of wine. She stares at her empty glass with a frown in silence for a few seconds. "This wine is disgusting. Let me be reminded to never repurchase this brand."

Both Hyelin and the royal guard near the entrance of Yongsun's bedroom let out a snort simultaneously. "Yes, Your Majesty."

When Yongsun finally falls asleep, and Hyelin can leave the room without the possibility of waking her up, she wants to make sure she lets Bora know of the possible plans. As she exits the bedroom of Yongsun along with the royal guard, they both look at each other with the same expression. 

"She needs to quit drinking," the guard says after a moment.

Hyelin chuckles and nods. "You don't even know half the story yet."

After leaving the guard behind, she fast walks straight to Bora's chambers. Her mission is to apologize profusely to Bora because she knows of Bora's wish not to get married. Despite what Bora's mother says, Hyelin respects Bora's wants.

When she reaches Bora's room, she knocks on the door. It takes a few moments for Bora to respond.

"Yes?" Her voice calls out.

"It's Grand Duchess Hyelin, Your Highness," Hyelin responds.

Bora opens the door with a smile and is greeted by Hyelin. "I'm surprised to hear from you this late. What seems to be of trouble?" She asks as she gestures for Hyelin to enter the room. Bora closes the door as Hyelin enters. She makes her way back over to her previous spot, but Hyelin stays near Bora's chambers’ entrance.

Hyelin readjusts her glasses upon the bridge of her nose as she says, "Your mother had another...drinking episode."

"Ah…" Bora puts her pen down on her desk. “What did she say this time?”

Hyelin hesitates before saying, “She brought up her frustrations regarding your refusal to get married.”

Bora nods with a facial expression that reads that she expected this. “This is not a surprise. Since you’re here, I am assuming she said something else I should be aware of?”

“I am completely on your side in you doing what you believe is right for yourself," Hyelin starts. "However, I must appeal to your mother as well. Unaware that she would actually run through with it, I suggested that your mother looks for suitable partners at your upcoming birthday party. I wanted to make it known to you what may happen as well as formally apologizing to you for putting you in this situation as that was not my intention.”

Bora smiles. “It’s alright, Hyelin. You don’t have to worry. It’s not a huge concern to me. My mother can push and shove all she wants, but in the end, it will be my decision to make," she says with a sigh. "I know she will not force me. Thank you for thinking of me. I appreciate your honesty.”

“Of course, Your Highness. I wish nothing but the best for you,” Hyelin says, returning the smile.

“And you’re lovely for that.”

Hyelin bows. “That was all for tonight.”

Bora nods. “Thank you for notifying me. You may leave whenever you see fit.”

“I will head out now, then. Have a good night, Your Highness,” Hyelin says as she opens the door to Bora's room.

“You as well, Hyelin!” Bora chirps.

Hyelin leaves the room, and Bora is left alone once again. She sighs as she turns to face her desk. She looks at herself in the mirror that’s connected to the desk and presses the palms of her hands against her cheeks to smush them together until her lips are pursed. 

“Will I ever escape from this hell?”  
  


* * *

  
  
The day of Bora's twenty-sixth birthday comes sooner than she expects it to. 

She's continuously argued with her mother about her decision to find a partner for Bora at her party. At the same time, Hyelin continued to apologize for putting her in that position. In the end, Bora gave up and let her mother do what she wanted to do.

Despite letting her mother go through with her plan, Bora wasn't going to pay any attention to who showed up. She was going to focus on interacting with her usual crew and not worry about anything else. 

There was no way she would get married anytime soon, and she would stick with that no matter what. Bora was not going to let her mother try to sway her from that. She did not want to get married, and that was that.

A sigh comes from Bora as she looks down below at the ballroom from where she stands upon the balcony. She wants to go down, but she also doesn't want to give her mother the idea that she's following through with her plan. 

It's a challenging situation.

As a butler begins to pass her, she quickly grabs a flute of champagne off the tray he's carrying. She downs it speedily and looks back down at the floor with disdain.

If someone even looked particularly interesting, she would be more inclined to leave her spot. Everyone seemed rather average to her, though. She didn't trust them either. 

Most people wanted to marry her for fame, for money, or a rise in class. Bora didn't wish even to spare them a glance if that's what their goal was for trying to court her.

It's been about two hours since the party officially started. She's seen her mother communicating with several different folks across the ballroom floor during that entire time, watching her chat with each person until she left them with a wrinkle of distaste on her face. It made Bora chuckle every time.

At this moment, Bora was one-hundred percent sure she could say that this plan of her mothers was going to fail. It took no more than five seconds for Bora to immediately retract that statement. 

Bora could confidently say she was remotely not interested in anyone until a woman wearing a cover upon her face arrived. 

The mysterious woman wore an extravagant dress with jewelry that showed she was wealthy. Her brown hair was tied up in a perfect bun without a single strand poking out, and her skin glowed as if she were an angel. She walked into the room with an aura that drew attention right to her, and it's evident by the way many people turn to look at her as she strolls across the floor.

Needless to say, but Bora is very intrigued by her attire and how she masks her identity. She's sure everyone else wonders the same thing, but it makes Bora want to know who she is.

For maybe the fourth time that night, Bora begins to make her way down to the ballroom floor. She looks over to her personal bodyguard next to her and asks, "Yubin, escort me to the floor again, please?"

The guard bows in response and lends Bora her arm for Bora to take.

Bora wraps her arm around the guard's arm, and they begin to descend the steps together. As they walk, guests move out of the way for them to come through. As they are finally approaching the masked woman, the guard steps back and leaves to stand against a wall to watch Bora closely after Bora thanks her. 

When Bora stands next to the woman, she gets a whiff of her scent. It smells of crisp blueberries, freshly whipped cream, and honey wisteria. Then, when she turns to face Bora, Bora gets this wave of some kind of divine mystic energy from her. Feeling like she was hit by an entirely new heavenly sensation that couldn't be named, she's stunned quiet for a moment.

The woman stares at her in silence as if she's waiting for Bora to greet her, to introduce herself, to say something.

"I—" Bora coughs slightly, her cheeks pinkening as she becomes embarrassed by the way she's acting. "I apologize. I’m—I didn't mean to startle you or weird you out if I have."

Bora doesn't expect the woman to smile, but— _God_ , she does, and it's one of the prettiest smiles Bora has ever seen. It comes as a shock to her considering she can't even fully see the woman's face.

"It's alright. You've done no harm," the woman finally speaks. She does a curtsy and rests her arms in front of her while clasping her hands upon each other.

Her voice is soft, like a wave of water crashing upon a shore. Bora feels goosebumps rise on her skin as she hears her voice for the first time. Everything about her feels so magical that Bora is convinced there's some supernatural play to it.

"I'm pleased to hear so," Bora responds, hoping she doesn't sound breathless as she feels. "I know this is rather sudden," Bora starts as she sticks out her hand toward the mysterious woman, "but would you give me the pleasure of having a dance with me on the ballroom floor?"

The woman seems surprised as she glances down at the hand Bora holds out to her. 

Bora knows she's being bold here, but she knows she would not forgive herself if she hadn't said anything to the woman. Even if she were to get rejected, at least she had spoken at all. Bora expected to get rejected as well. 

To Bora's surprise, the woman places her hand in the palm of Bora's outstretched hand, accepting Bora's request.

"I would love to dance with you," the woman replies, further stepping into Bora's personal bubble.

Happy that the woman accepted her, she tightens her grip around her hand with a smile. "To the floor, then," she says and begins guiding the woman towards the middle of the room. 

A pathway forms for the two of them as they walk there. When they reach the center, Bora turns to face the masked woman. She confidently but gently pulls the woman toward her and rests her other hand upon her waist. The woman mirrors Bora's action, and Bora tries to ignore the slight shiver that runs throughout her body when the woman touches her.

They begin dancing with each other, moving across the dancefloor with other partners surrounding them. She expects it to be awkward considering they're total strangers to one another, but it doesn't feel strange at all. It feels somewhat familiar to Bora in a way she can't explain. Bora finds she likes the way the woman moves so elegantly and gracefully, too.

As they dance, Bora attempts to make small talk with her just to hear her voice. It's so soothing and sweet to listen to that Bora never wants her to stop speaking. The woman doesn't seem to be put off by Bora either, so it encourages her to keep asking questions now and then.

When they finally part from each other, Bora kind of doesn't want to let her go. She does, though, as to not hike up a storm. She already had done a bit too much by approaching the woman so suddenly. 

Reluctantly, Bora returns to her royal guard who had escorted her, but she doesn't go back to the balcony. Instead, she watches the mysterious woman be asked to dance with several other guests and accepts their proposals to dance as well. 

An emotion she doesn't deal with very well creeps up and comes over her without warning. 

_Jealousy._

That's when Bora realizes she is still very enamoured by the mysterious woman. So when the woman is once again alone near the ballroom's corridor, she saunters up to her once again. She asks the woman to go on a stroll with her in the castle's gardens with no hesitation.

It comes as a shock to both of them. Bora hadn't meant to ask her that so suddenly, and the woman hadn't thought Bora would go back to her a second time. Bora's jealousy controlled her a bit more than she realized. Still, when the woman accepted her offer once more, she couldn't be too frustrated over it.

Bora leaves her royal guard behind as she knows guards stand outside the castle and in the botanical room. She guides the two of them to one of the ballroom exits and outside in the night air. It's a bit chilly as it's soon to be closing in on the winter season, but neither of them makes a show of being cold.

Walking side by side, they begin to start their stroll to the garden. Bora realizes soon enough that they seem to get along well as they speak with one another. The two share many of the same interests and seem to have come up in similar ways. 

When they reach the garden, the woman even shows to know the many types of plants grown there, too. It gets harder for Bora to accept that the woman will leave by the end of the night. Bora is suddenly so sure that this woman is the one she wants to get to know more—and even consider marrying.

As soon as they are to make it back to the ballroom, the two hear shrill screams and a hoard of scattered footsteps. Startled by the sudden change in mood, they run into the ballroom to find a scene breaking out where a pack of bandits are attempting to kidnap Queen Yongsun, Bora's mother.

Bora looks over to her side to tell the masked woman to run somewhere safe, but she finds the woman had already left her line of sight way before she even realized it. The woman was quicker in the act of saving the queen than Bora. Or any of the royal guards, in fact. 

So shocked, all Bora simply does is watch in awe as the woman manages to take out all the bad guys _by herself._ It all happens within the blink of an eye that Bora isn't even sure whether it actually happened or not. Both Bora and her mother Yongsun—quite everyone in the vicinity—are shaken by it.

Especially at how the woman is suddenly quick on her feet and running out after knocking out the perpetrators.

Bora runs after the unknown woman, wanting to try to find out who she is. Despite how fast she runs, she ends up missing her. By the time she is outside, the woman has already completely disappeared. Feeling disappointed and defeated, Bora decides to make her way back inside the castle. Before she does head off, she notices the mystery woman dropped something of hers on the stairway. 

When Bora steps closer to inspect the item, she picks it up and finds it's a military badge of the captain rank. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the woman's name on it, so immediately, Bora's reaction is to make it a mission to find out who it belongs to. Because it looks like it's custom-made, Bora knows not just anyone could own it, too.

As soon as Bora enters the ballroom, she looks for Grand Duchess Hyelin. Once she finds Hyelin, Bora asks Hyelin to order the guards to go after the mysterious woman she danced with. After a few hours of searching and Bora's party is well finished with, she comes back to relay to Bora the information that the woman, unfortunately, has escaped and remains anonymous.

Unsurprisingly, Bora is sure now that the unknown woman is the one she wants to marry. 

As she fully trusts Hyelin and looks at her as a friend, she tells Hyelin about the badge she found. Bora wants to keep it on the down-low for now, but she asks Hyelin to see if she can ask around about any soldiers who may have lost their badge recently. She thinks that will be a huge hint in finding out who her mysterious future bride could be.  
  


* * *

  
  
During this time that the hunt begins, Bora begins to spend a lot more time in the military. It's her goal to hope to come across the woman she danced with. She's fairly certain that it won't work, but she refuses to give up. She's very determined and doesn't think it will hurt to be on the lookout for her in the army if she happens to be a part of it.

Soldiers of different squads start to notice that the princess of the kingdom, the lieutenant-general, is around a lot more, so it causes a little bit of concern to rise. It's not normal for her to be around so often. 

Some think that she's looking for soldiers to kick out. Some believe that maybe there will be a war soon. A few wonder that perhaps she's looking for a partner within the military. 

And those few would be partially right. But Bora ignores all of the rumours that pop up. She only has one mission, and it's not worrying about what they think is happening.

As Bora is of a high place in the military, she can order the soldiers around. So when she sees some of the soldiers slacking, that's exactly what she does. It's an excellent opportunity to make sure the military is in shape, and she makes sure to put it to use. There will be no one dozing off on her watch!

Bora's dictation doesn't go unnoticed by the upper-class soldiers. Some of them commend her for her strictness, while others tell her not to stress too much. Regardless, her actions lead her to meet someone new. 

One day when Bora is training a few new soldiers, one of the marshals pulls her aside for it. With her curiousity peaked, Bora knocks on the office door of the marshal.

"Come in!" The marshal shouts.

Bora opens the door and steps in. "Good afternoon, Marshal Leez!" She greets with a bow.

Immediately, the man stands up and mirrors her action. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."

Bora gestures that he can sit back down, and Bora sits on the chair across from his desk. "You wanted to see me?" She asks.

"Ah, yes," he confirms. "I heard you have been riling up the soldiers the past couple of weeks."

Bora laughs. "Perhaps I have been picking on them a bit," she admits.

Marshal Leez laughs. "I appreciate your dedication. I have noticed they seem to be more alert these days because of you."

Bora smiles. "I'm pleased to hear so," she replies.

"Your contribution reminds me a lot of another soldier of high rank that works with a specific division," Leez starts to explain. "I think the two of you would get along well. I would like you to meet her."

"Her?" Bora blinks. "Do we have a woman that high in rank already?"

The marshal nods as he stands up from his chair once again. He rounds the desk and motions for Bora to follow him. They walk out of his office together as he continues to explain his thought process. "Yes. She’s a captain. She rose to her rank pretty quickly from how much of a natural she is. I want to introduce the two of you today. If that's alright with you."

"Yes!" She exclaims. "Of course, Marshal Leez! I would love to!"

On their way to the training grounds, Bora finds out this woman is the top excelling soldier in the military right now. Marshal Leez wants her to train with Bora to capitalize on her strength. Bora thinks that's a great idea as well and accepts the suggestion to do so.

Once they finally reach the training grounds, they stop their conversation to watch the practice battle that's taking place. It's clear between the two contestants that one is of a higher rank and the other is a fresh private. 

After a few minutes, the lesser talented player is defeated. The winner helps the player off the ground and congratulates him for doing well. Then, as he walks away from the field, he takes off his helmet and—oh. 

That...is not a man. 

That's a woman.

"That's who I was telling you about," Marshal Leez says to Bora, a proud grin on his face as he sees Bora's gaping expression.

Bora nods her head, but she isn't paying too much attention to what he's saying. Instead, she's rather focused on watching the captain like a hawk. Her eyes are so glued to the woman, revelling in how gorgeous she is. If Bora is blushing, so be it. She is too pretty not to stare at.

When Bora is finally introduced to the female captain, she is unaware that she is actually the woman she's looking for.

"It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Your Highness," the captain greets after taking a bow.

Bora feels like her voice is familiar, but she can't place it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Siyeon. I'm happy to hear there's a woman of this high rank in the military. We need more. It makes me feel proud."

"I simply do what I'm told and do it well," Siyeon says.

"But that's exactly what the military lacks!" Bora exasperates. "I'm glad you're instilling it into these folks here."

"Do they slack even around you, Your Highness?" Siyeon asks, seeming to be in disbelief.

"Absolutely so!" Bora exclaims. "An abomination, I tell you."

"The audacity," Siyeon laughs.

"We should team up against them, no? Teach them a lesson?" Bora jokes. "They should get brave. Women and men are supposed to be equal here, yet, it seems like us women are doing a little bit more than them."

"I can confirm I have seen so with my own eyes, Your Highness," Siyeon says, looking at Marshal Leez next to her with a playful going in her eyes.

Bora can't help but laugh. "Amazing. We can't have that, now can we?"

Siyeon smiles, and Bora swears she's seen that smile before. It feels like déjà vu. She can't explain it, but it rattles her down to the core of her soul.

Soon enough, the two of them become a duo you can't team up against. They actually aren't too harsh. But more stern and strict than most of the marshals are. They only work together for a few days, but Bora already likes working with her. Siyeon really is a catch like Marshal Leez had said beforehand. She likes the company of Siyeon and looks forward to being with her the next day after the next.

They haven't begun training together yet as the two have duties to attend, but it is something the two of them would like to do soon. Bora has seen Siyeon in action with some of the soldiers, making her want to be in their position. 

Siyeon is very talented, just as Marshal Leez said, and it leaves her in awe. Siyeon was very well deserving of her captain rank, in Bora's opinion.

It's about a week and a half that's passed since Bora was introduced to Siyeon before finalizing when they can begin meeting for private one-on-one sessions. Bora is excited, to say the least, and hopes Siyeon is as well. 

She is coming to enjoy being around Siyeon very much and may or may not be harbouring a tiny crush. It’s merely admiration, she tells herself. Still, she knows her own feelings and her emotions well—meaning it's not admiration. She’s choosing to ignore that it's not admiration altogether.

The one unfortunate thing about their meetings is that they often get interrupted halfway.

Bora finds out that the head of the military, Marshal Taecyeon, is also Siyeon's stepfather. She notices that Taecyeon comes to grab Siyeon a lot, and Siyeon tells Bora that one of her stepsisters, named Gahyeon, will take her place. 

It's a little strange to Bora, but she doesn't mind it too much. Just seeing a glimpse of Siyeon already makes her day.

Soon, Taecyeon stops popping around, but Siyeon appears even less over time. She kind of feels like Siyeon is purposely avoiding her after a while and doesn't know what to make of that. It makes her a bit nervous, which is also something that doesn't happen to her often. That's how she knows Siyeon is really taking place in her heart.

That aside, while Bora is getting to know Siyeon, unexpectedly, she forgets about the mysterious woman she laid eyes on at her birthday party. With the mysterious woman versus Siyeon, Siyeon is more of a priority. She's there all the time while Bora can't get a hold of the masked woman. She doesn't understand why the woman won't come forward either.

Bora isn't reminded of her until Hyelin asks Bora in the evening if she'd like to continue the search for her. It shocks her for a moment since the woman had completely slipped her mind. She even looks at the badge for a while in thought. 

Eventually, Bora tells Hyelin to put it on hold for now because she's taking a liking to Siyeon. Although the mysterious woman was fascinating, Bora is finding that she is very compatible with Siyeon. She wants to find out more about Siyeon before entirely making her decision. With that being said, she chooses to meet Siyeon daily instead of three times a week.

Bora and Siyeon are set to train together for about three to five months. More if Siyeon needs more time, less if Siyeon picks up on things rather quickly. If Bora prays for the former because she wants to spend more time with Siyeon, no one has to know but her.

They start out the first three weeks with no interruptions. Bora sees that as a win on her end. However, after that week, that's when they start breaking off.

It starts off with, once again, Taecyeon randomly barging in on their sessions to fetch Siyeon to do something for him. It happens every three or so days, so it wasn't too bad. But it escalated.

Soon, the visits became more frequent and even earlier on in their sessions, where they would only be with each other for half of an hour at the most. It was confusing to Bora, but she didn't question it as she knew Taecyeon knew better than her with the military as he was the head. 

She still had fun teaching Gahyeon, but it was not _her_ who Bora was considering marrying.

Eventually, Bora finds out that Siyeon gets even busier because soon, Siyeon can't even show up to the sessions at all. The tasks she hears Siyeon are assigned to don't make sense to Bora, but who is she to question Siyeon? She is not the one in charge of Siyeon, even though she may be the kingdom’s princess.

One of the tasks Siyeon does is to train Yoohyeon and Gahyeon, her stepsisters, as they are privates just starting out in the military. Another is to see over a specific group of men who are seriously looking to raise their ranks. A third is teaching soldiers how to use their weaponry and where to either fetch, hide, or store them.

Bora feels like a lot of tasks she's assigned to are rather oddly specific. But once again, who is she to judge? She just wishes she could see Siyeon more often than she is.

It's already two and a half months into their training period, but they haven't met as much as Bora was expecting them to. Bora rarely gets insecure about herself, but ever since she has met Siyeon, things have changed. She's afraid that she has maybe scared Siyeon off and that Siyeon is finding ways to avoid her at all costs.

That worry begins to eat her alive at night to the point she can't sleep. And it's only because she likes Siyeon so much and wants to impress her that she's this upset. Had she not cared for Siyeon at all, she would not be in this position. 

If she is envious of everyone else who Siyeon spares her time for and weeps out of frustration at two A.M., that's no one's concern but her own. And she'd take the secrecy of those emotions with her to the _grave._  
  


* * *

  
  
It was not something that could have been seen coming. In fact, it was rather so sudden that even Taecyeon himself couldn't believe it was happening. He had watched a group of guards barge into the military training grounds and arrest Siyeon for treason with his very own eyes.

He had been planning this since the moment he found out Princess Bora and Siyeon would frequently be meeting. But he hadn't known when it would finally take place. The moment it did, he felt like he was holding the entire world in the palm of his hands.

Due to the many attempts of Taecyeon sabotaging Bora and Siyeon's meetings, he managed to successfully frame Siyeon for planning the heist in kidnapping the Queen. 

Taecyeon had been able to convince the court of the kingdom to believe that Siyeon was training a group of soldiers in order to start a war. All the different tasks she had been doing, and having her team do coincidentally matched up with how someone who wanted to take down the kingdom would plan.

How would he know that? Because it was his idea. He wanted to rule the kingdom. Using Siyeon like this was the perfect opportunity for him to step up his game and get closer to his goal.

Unfortunately, though, this triste ruins the budding relationship between Siyeon and Bora. It's no surprise Bora feels betrayed. She spent a lot of time with Siyeon because she really trusted her and thought she was true to herself. For Bora to find out it was all a lie broke her in many more ways than she could count.

Siyeon goes through three trials before she is found guilty. By no surprise, she ends up kicked out of the military. Then, pretty much exiled from the kingdom. The queen even goes as far as to think about executing Siyeon instead of letting her live as well.

To say Bora is distraught about this situation would be an understatement. She had never experienced such a heartbreak ever in her life before. Every night, she weeps until she falls into a slumber. If the guards outside her room witness it, they don't say a thing.

Attempting to move on, Bora finally decides to look for the masked woman who appeared on her birthday. Fed up with not having any information, she asks Taecyeon about the missing badge. She relays her entire story to him about the mysterious girl.

Evilly, he takes that chance to insert his daughter Yoohyeon into the picture. Doing so, he can pretend that Yoohyeon is Siyeon and she can marry Bora. It places him another level higher in his plan to take over the kingdom.

In reality, he knows that the badge belongs to Siyeon as it was the badge that belonged to Siyeon's mother before she died in a war. He doesn't mention that Yoohyeon is his daughter because it would contradict Bora’s knowledge that both Siyeon's stepsisters are private ranks while the badge is captain rank.

Hearing that Taecyeon knows the woman Bora is looking for gets Bora excited. It makes her wish she had confided with Taecyeon months earlier. If she had, maybe she wouldn't be in this position she was at now, with Siyeon turning out to be unloyal to her. She lets Taecyeon know she wants to meet this so-called Yoohyeon as soon as she can.

Taking that into mind, Taecyeon plans for them to get together within the next few days. He wants to officialize their wedding before it is decided whether Siyeon will get executed or not. This is so that whether Siyeon lives or not, she doesn't get the chance to marry Bora.

While this is happening, Gahyeon realizes that she's been manipulated by her father and older sister. Upset and in despair about how things are turning out, she makes the decision to turn around to help Siyeon escape execution. 

She knows that Siyeon has a best friend named Dong that she stuck to through thick and thin. She finds Dong as soon as she can and reveals to Dong the truth about everything that's happened and what her father is trying to achieve. She believes that Dong is the only person she can trust to help her save Siyeon, so that's why she comes to her.

Gahyeon finds out that Dong is actually a mutual friend between Bora and Siyeon. When Gahyeon reveals to her the truth, she believes Gahyeon's story that Siyeon was framed by Taecyeon. 

Dong believes it because she _knows_ that Taecyeon hates Siyeon. Although she does not understand why he hates Siyeon, she knows that he hates Siyeon enough to want her dead. She believes that Taecyeon is capable of pulling something like this off, too. During their conversation, Dong also suddenly realizes that the badge that Taecyeon is making Yoohyeon claim as hers is actually Siyeon's. This makes Dong further angry.

Without the blink of an eye, they plan to make their way to privately see Bora with no hesitation. The two of them teaming up lead to revealing the truth to Bora about Siyeon and her family storyline. 

When Bora hears all of the truth from the duo, she is hysterically saddened. Then upset. And then _furious_. She immediately goes to take the news to her mother and demand that Siyeon is released from exile. 

There is no way in hell that she would let Taecyeon get away with this. Bora had been wary of him and his actions all along. She wishes she trusted her guts.

Bora knows that her mother is currently in discussion with the kingdom’s court about what to do with Siyeon. She thinks it's the perfect time to interrupt. When Bora reaches the courtroom, she bursts the doors open with a yell. 

"Release Siyeon from exile!"

Everyone in the room looks in Bora's direction in shock.

Queen Yongsun gives her daughter a dark glance. "Bora. Now is _not_ the time for games," her mother speaks, her tone low and dangerous.

"Have you ever known me to play games with you, mother!?" Bora asks with a bite in her voice. "Lee Siyeon has been framed for treason, and I am putting my foot down that she be released from exile _now_. Need I to do it myself? I surely will!"

"Your Highness, please explain as to why the sudden change in heart?" One of the court’s rulers asks, attempting to keep the two women from going head to head into a heated argument.

Immediately, Bora explains the entire story to the court just as Gahyeon and Dong had told her. She does not leave out a single detail. And she makes sure to capitalize on the fact that it was Siyeon's stepfather— _head of the kingdom's military_ —who put Siyeon in this position because he hated her and wanted to use her as a stepping stool for his plan to take over the kingdom and crown himself as king.

As soon as this information is dropped, the entire court looks at Taecyeon to defend himself. Bewildered by the fact that Bora was able to find out, he is stunned silent and unable to deny the claims coming from Bora's mouth.

Once again, the court sends Siyeon through three days of trial. The only difference is that she does it along with Taecyeon this time. Soon enough, Siyeon is found innocent, and Taecyeon is found guilty.

Although Taecyeon didn't plan the kidnapping of Yongsun, Bora wants him to have a punishment for attempting to frame Siyeon for it. She asks for him to be stripped of his position as a marshal and head of the military. Bora never wants to see his face again.

For once, Yongsun agrees with Bora's wishes and calls for Taecyeon to be dethroned from his rank. In his place, a different marshal named Ollounder is placed as head of the military. They make sure to weed out anyone else who was siding with Taecyeon, too.

After the initial dethronement period is over, Taecyeon and Yoohyeon are sentenced to one-hundred-and-eighty days of prison. Gahyeon is excused from punishment because of her honesty but also because she experienced manipulation from her father.

This event is marked down in the kingdom as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, showdowns of history.  
  


* * *

  
  
After all the drama sweeps over, Siyeon and Bora finally get to meet properly after nearly a month. The two are a little nervous since they haven't been left alone together for quite a while. It's a little awkward at first, but eventually, they warm up to one another again by being honest with each other.

It’s half of an hour after ten P.M. when they have somewhat of a heart-to-heart, which restores the trust between them and at the same time helps them learn more about each other. Siyeon tells Bora more about how she grew up, how she was treated, and what happened to her biological parents. In return, Bora reveals what happens inside the castle walls, her childhood adventures, and what it's like being born into royalty. 

Bora also brings up how she and her mother often argue since Bora's father died. They don't always agree, and her father was the middle ground between them. Bora and Siyeon relate to missing their fathers and having problems with their parents.

After this conversation ends, it seems like the stopping point for the two of them. Bora tells Siyeon she is delighted that they were presented with the opportunity to talk like this and hopes that they can do it often. There is so much more Bora wants to learn about Siyeon after all.

They sit in a comfortable silence drinking tea when suddenly Bora decides to be bold. They're right next to each other on a sofa in Bora's room, which also gives Bora the courage to ask what she has wanted to ask for months on end now.

Bora sets her teacup on the coffee table in front of them and faces Siyeon with a blush already forming on her cheeks. "Siyeon, I… Forgive me in advance if I have been reading you wrong. I am inclined to believe that we are interested in each other romantically and have shared the same feelings for a while now. If my assumptions are correct, perhaps I—m-may I kiss you?"

The shock is evident on Siyeon's face as she gapes, and her face as well turns a light shade of pink. To Bora's surprise, it does not take Siyeon long to decide on an answer. "I—y-yes," she stutters, nodding her head. "Yes, you may," she repeats confidently.

There is not a moment wasted once Siyeon gives her consent. Bora takes the teacup out of Siyeon's hands, sets it on the table next to her cup, and leans forward to press her lips against Siyeon's. The instant their lips connect, Bora feels this magical energy from Siyeon once again. She really does not know what it is about Siyeon that makes her experience this, but she is not complaining.

A minute into the kiss, Siyeon puts a hand on Bora's cheek as if to bring her closer. Immediately, the kiss starts to get a little heated.

Bora maneuvers her position so that she sits on her knees to reach Siyeon better. But she never breaks the kiss.

Siyeon then leans back, and Bora follows her until Siyeon is lying down with Bora entirely atop her. She spreads her legs apart for Bora to slot herself in between them to bring the two of them even closer. It does not take long until Siyeon starts to roam her hands about Bora's torso.

As soon as Siyeon starts this motion, Bora begins kissing down Siyeon's neck. It brings soft gasps from Siyeon and only makes Bora want to continue hearing them.

She begins to unbutton Siyeon's tailcoat, and Siyeon helps her out by sliding it off once the buttons are all undone. Bora goes for Siyeon's dress shirt next, starting with the first button under the collar. She undoes the buttons until she reaches the waistband of Siyeon's dress pants. As Siyeon begins to pull her arms out of her shirt, Bora returns to kissing her once again.

The kiss is rather messy this time as they are beginning to become desperate to touch one another. Bora feels Siyeon attempting to push past her teeth with her tongue, so she opens her mouth to let Siyeon further explore the inside of her mouth. She releases a shaky, quiet moan as the two of their tongues meet each other.

While they are french kissing, Bora trails her hands down Siyeon's arms. Then, she switches to running them up and down Siyeon's abdomen, liking the feeling of Siyeon's soft skin under her touch. 

She goes to cup both of Siyeon's breasts with her palms next, gently caressing them through Siyeon's bra as they are still kissing. Bora circles around Siyeon's nipples through the fabric until they are erect before pulling down Siyeon's bra to lightly pinch Siyeon's nipples. Doing so brings a sharp gasp from Siyeon that makes Bora grin between their kisses.

Bora breaks the kiss then, immediately descending to attach her lips to one of Siyeon's breasts. As soon as she does so, Siyeon lets out a tiny whine and sweeps her fingers through Bora's hair to gently grip her head. Bora smiles as she softly bites down on Siyeon's nipple before sucking on it. Her actions continue to make Siyeon moan, and after a minute, Bora switches to Siyeon's other breast to do the same thing.

When Bora lifts off of Siyeon's breasts, Siyeon surges up to kiss her again. She has her hands holding either side of Bora's face, and it's very sloppy. After a couple of minutes pass, she lets go of Bora's face to reach behind Bora and begin trying to unzip the back of her dress. 

"Off. Off," Siyeon mumbles in between the kiss, making Bora giggle.

The princess reaches behind herself as well to help Siyeon pull the zipper down. As soon as it complies, Bora lets the short sleeves of her dress fall from her arms and sink to her waistline along with the remaining top of her dress, leaving her entire torso bare before Siyeon.

"Goodness gracious, Your Highness," Siyeon breathes, her eyes raking across Bora with dilated pupils. "You're absolutely stunning. I can't believe you're real."

With a small laugh, Bora continues to undress. "I could say the same exact thing about you and more, Siyeon," she replies, a smirk appearing on her lips.

"I would get on my knees and beg to hear it if I had to," Siyeon whispers. Her eyes never leave Bora's body, watching her every movement. It's like she's in a trance, and it gives Bora some sort of an ego boost.

"Yeah?" Bora breathes. She finally gets out of her dress and throws it onto the ground without a care of whether it gets wrinkled or not. "I want to hear you beg," she says as she pushes Siyeon back against the side rest of the sofa. She begins undoing the button and zipper of Siyeon's high-waisted pants. Once they're unfastened, she removes the rest of Siyeon's dress shirt and throws that on the floor, too. 

"I want to hear you beg—” Next, she hooks her fingers under the waistband of Siyeon's pants and underwear and starts to pull them both down Siyeon's hips. ``—and I want to hear you call my name so desperately in need." When the offending articles of clothes are off, they also get thrown to the floor.

She doesn't give Siyeon the chance to react or respond to her, though. As soon as Siyeon's clothes leave her hands, she pushes Siyeon's legs up and apart.

Siyeon gasps as Bora shoves her into this position so suddenly, leaving her entirely exposed before Bora's ravenous eyes. Her face bleeds the shade of watermelon red as she watches Bora begin to pepper kisses down the inside of her thighs until she reaches her vagina.

Bora is not the most skilled at performing oral sex, seeing she has had sex with only a small number of people in her life. Keeping that in mind, she tries her best to pleasure Siyeon. She thinks she does a good job considering the way Siyeon thrashes around, pulls Bora's hair, and moans loudly until she's breathless. When Siyeon orgasms, Bora feels Siyeon's entire body vibrate, and she fingers Siyeon through it with two of her fingers.

As soon as Siyeon stops shaking, she hauls Bora up and kisses her without coordination. "That was _amazing_ , Bora," she says in between the touches of their lips. "You're so amazing."

With a smile, Bora pulls Siyeon closer. "I haven't done that in a while," she admits. After a moment, she realizes that she'd rather be on her bed, so she breaks their kiss and stands up. She gestures behind her and takes Siyeon's hands into hers to guide Siyeon across the room.

Once they reach Bora's mattress, Bora pushes Siyeon down onto it and climbs onto her right after. They immediately return to kissing and touching one another as they will never get enough of the other.

In a couple of minutes, Siyeon asks Bora to sit on her face. Siyeon as well has not had much sex experience, but she knows between the two of them, she has probably had less. Regardless, she treats Bora like how she would like to be treated, putting her mouth to use as if she hadn't had a meal in years.

Bora believes Siyeon does a much better job than her as she cannot control herself or how she reacts to Siyeon at all. The moment her climax washes over her, she feels as if she blacks out. For sure, Siyeon is talented with her tongue.

Siyeon helps Bora back onto the bed and pulls Bora to her side to attach their lips together. She intertwines their legs in a way both of their vaginas meet near each other. 

Soon, they begin grinding against one another until the two of them orgasm again. They stay embracing each other for a while with small kisses as they come down from their highs.

When Bora feels like her legs aren't made of jelly, she gets up to run the two of them a bath. The couple cleans up together, taking their time as they bask in each other's mere presence in comfortable silence. Once they're finished, Bora lends Siyeon a pair of her pyjamas, and they get dressed. They climb into bed once more with each other the moment they're done clothing themselves.

Bora turns off the light, and the room bleeds into a dark but dimly lit room by the moon shining through the closed curtains on the windows. They lie next to each other under the sheets of Bora's bed, embracing each other tightly but gently.

There are a few moments of complete quietness before Siyeon breaks it. "I really like you, Bora," she whispers in the dark of the night.

At Siyeon's random confession, Bora can't help the way she smiles until her cheekbones hurt. Siyeon is so cute to her. "I really like you, too, Siyeon," she whispers in response. Then the two of them kiss and continue to hold each other until they fall asleep.

In the early morning, Bora wakes up first. The birds are chirping, and there's a slither of sunlight peeking into the room. Bora feels warm. Warmer than she's ever felt before. It's not just from the peaceful morning but also from Siyeon next to her sleeping soundly. 

Or not anymore as Bora makes one small movement and Siyeon awakens immediately. 

The sun's just rising, and from the small opening of the curtain, it shines over Siyeon like the golden hour. It's at this moment that Bora realizes there's nowhere she'd rather be. Before Siyeon even opens her mouth, Bora blurts this to Siyeon:

"Marry me, please."

Siyeon blinks at her. "A-Are you joking, Bora? Are you aware of what time it is right now?" She asks, her voice a little rough from just awakening

Bora shakes her head. "I am one-hundred percent honest right now, Siyeon," she whispers, her expression serious. "Will you marry me?"

Siyeon blinks at her again in silence. Then, she breaks into a fit of small laughter out of disbelief, accompanied by the bubbling of tears in her eyes. She nods and embraces Bora. "Yes," she breathes out. "Yes, I'll marry you, Bora."

From then, they officially became each other’s fianceé.  
  


* * *

  
  
In the next week, Bora and Siyeon planned to host their wedding. When the two of them came with the news to Bora's mother, Yongsun was so excited. Neither of them expected the queen to suddenly start weeping. It was a touching moment between Bora and her mother, and Siyeon was happy to witness the fond bonding moment.

Bora nor Siyeon had the care for an extravagant wedding ceremony. That being said, when Queen Yongsun asked them what kind of theme they wanted to go for, they simply allowed her to pick for them instead. Bora knew that whatever her mother decided, she and Siyeon would be pleased with it.

They as well beforehand picked who would be their maid of honours and who would be their best man. Gahyeon ended up being a maid of honour, but they decided to pick Dong to be their best man seeing Dong was a close friend to both of them.

Come the day of their wedding, Bora could not believe how happy she was. Due to tradition, neither Bora nor Siyeon, the brides, could see each other until they were on the altar with each other. She could not wait to see Siyeon and hoped that in return, Siyeon felt the same way.

At the moment, Gahyeon was sitting before her. Don't get Bora wrong. She was thrilled. She wanted to do this. She was ready. But with Bora, her happiness always comes with a little bit of disbelief. Tiny hesitance. Some insecurities. 

Bora was nervous about marrying Siyeon because she hoped that Siyeon was all in just as she was. She was worried that maybe Siyeon felt she was pressured into marrying Bora, and that was probably the very last thing Bora would ever want to happen to Siyeon involving the two of them.

Because of these lingering worries, Bora was a little antsy. Gahyeon had noticed this and tried to speak with Bora about what was bothering her. Fortunately, Gahyeon was a great listener and talker. She had no problems reassuring Bora that she made the correct choice and that Siyeon was very much on the same page as her.

Before Bora knows it, it's time for the ceremony. She's still a little nervous, but it's the good kind of nerves. She is set to head in first and walk with her mother to the altar, which puts her on edge. But she tries to shake away the emotions and proceed with confidence.

She's guided to the throne room’s front doors and hears a melody from inside playing from the piano. No longer than a minute later, her name is called. The royal guards on either side of the doors push them open, and she begins to enter. At the entrance is her mother waiting for her. She smiles as she wraps her arm around her mother's arm that she holds out for Bora to take. Then, the two of them slowly stroll up to the altar.

In two minutes, Siyeon's name is called, and the doors once again open. Here walks in Siyeon with her distant aunt Minji. All day Bora waited for this moment to see her, and she was not disappointed. It was certainly worth the wait with how beautiful Siyeon looked. 

Siyeon appeared just as mystical as she did the night Bora met her, and it was at this exact moment Bora was finally one-hundred percent sure that she was making the right decision. Bora was going to marry Siyeon, and _nothing_ was going to convince her otherwise.

The rest of the ceremony passes by quickly. Bora and Siyeon are given their rings to slide onto each other's fingers. Then, they say their wedding vows to one another, all teary-eyed and emotional. Soon, the pastor tells them they are allowed to kiss to seal the marriage.

And this is the moment of Bora's life she thinks she would like to relive over and over again until the day she died.

After they are officially deemed as each other's wives, both of them throw their bouquets into the crowd. Then they leave the throne room together while laughing happily.  
  


* * *

  
  
Trapped in her thoughts, Bora kicks the sand beneath her feet as she walks along the beach water shoreline. 

It's been a few days since Siyeon and her officially married. She doesn't think she's ever been happier with a decision in years. Siyeon was a light in her life that she didn't know she needed. There's nothing that would ever make her regret tying the knot with her.

They're in their honeymoon phase, but Bora has a feeling that she'll never leave it. There's so much she sees in Siyeon that pulls her to Siyeon. She believes there's so much more to learn about Siyeon that she'll also learn to love as well. If they aren't meant to be, then they aren't meant to be. But Bora will always be in love with Siyeon. That is something she's so sure of.

The two of them are taking a small stroll on the beach as the sun is setting. Prior to this, they had a picnic on the pier, Siyeon's treat. It was a surprise to Bora because she had no idea Siyeon could cook. Every day, Bora was finding out something new about Siyeon. It only made her fall harder.

It's this moment when Bora suddenly decides to reveal to Siyeon that she wanted to marry Siyeon the moment she saw the once anonymous woman kick ass at her birthday party.

Bora tightens her grip on Siyeon's hand that's entwined with hers. "Would you like to know a secret, Siyeon?" She asks. The princess continues to look ahead as they walk, not turning to face Siyeon as she sees Siyeon look at her from her peripheral vision.

"As long as it isn't any bad news," Siyeon replies.

A chuckle comes from Bora. "That is a fair concern," Bora agrees. "It's nothing too absurd. I just..." Bora lifts her head and finally faces Siyeon with a shy expression. "You had me from the moment I first saw you. And I can't stop thinking about how this must be fate."

The way Siyeon's face immediately bleeds cotton candy pink makes Bora laugh. Is she embarrassed? Regardless, Bora loves that colour on her.

"Y-You mean the day of your birthday? When you boldly asked to dance with me? And only me?" Siyeon questions, the tone of her voice leaning on the high-pitched end.

Bora nods in response, the ends of her lips turning up as she smiles. "I'm sure I wasn't the only person whose attention you caught. But I had confidence that night. You brought out a side to me I didn't know existed within me."

Before Bora continues to speak, Siyeon lets out a small laugh that confirms her embarrassment. "Were you really that interested in me? Considering how many people came up to me that night, I find it hard to believe so."

"Was I not the only one who came to you a second time!?" Bora exclaims, feigning an offended tone.

"Ah, wait..." Siyeon giggles. "Yes, that is true."

Bora looks down at their hands that are connected, a smile still upon her face. "You came to a party where it was known that I would be looking for a future partner. Yet, you arrived masking your identity. I thought that either you had a strong sense of humour or you were someone who only wanted people to see you for your personality over your face. I'd no clue that it would have been because you were hiding from your family."

"Yes, I..." Siyeon lies her head on Bora's shoulder as she lets out a soft sigh. "It was a risky play. But I wanted to do something for myself for once. I felt like I held power over myself that night. And that was something I had not felt in years. It was a little bit of an eye-opener for me. I have no regrets."

There's a small bout of silence between the two of them as Bora takes in Siyeon's confession. "I understand that too well," she says after a moment. "We have come a long way, though. Don't you think? Through thick and thin?" Bora hums. "But...if I were to be honest, I don't think I would have had it any other way." 

Bora squeezes Siyeon's hand in her grip once again before completely stopping to stand in front of Siyeon. She grabs Siyeon's other hand and looks right into Siyeon's eyes—the ones Bora hopes to wake up to, to see first thing in the morning every day for the rest of her life. 

"Thank you for coming into my world, Lee Siyeon."

Siyeon smiles—that same exact smile Bora saw and immediately fell for that evening they danced together—and leans in to kiss Bora.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope it was enjoyable~ Don't forget to hit the kudos button and leave a comment if you liked it! <3
> 
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